Taken by Storm
by Vizkopa
Summary: A young woman is found adrift on the open sea, her crew dead, her ship and captain missing. Saved from near death by the Straw Hat Pirates, they agree to help in the search for her lost captain. But she may not like what she finds... Rated M for some violence/gore and strong language.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: The Girl with the Midnight Eyes**

A shrill voice invaded Zoro's dreams and he furrowed his brow in annoyance. There was only one person who could pull him back into the waking world with such immediacy.

"Idiot love-cook," he growled under his breath, lifting an eyelid to shoot a death glare at the fawning blond. Yawning widely, Zoro stretched out his stiff joints, groaning as each one offered a satisfying pop. He had slept longer than intended and the sun was already well on its way into the western sky.

_Now I'm awake, might as well get in some training,_ he thought with a shrug and made his way across the deck. A speck of black against the blue waves caught his eye and stopped him in his tracks. In the distance, but drawing ever nearer was a piece of wreckage, not at all uncommon on the Grand Line. But just as he was about to turn away, he spotted a figure, clearly unconscious and clutching desperately at the makeshift raft. He opened his mouth, a call already forming in his throat, but a voice from far above beat him to the punch.

"O-oi!" called Usopp, his voice quaking ever so slightly. "There's someone in the water!" As he spoke the words

But Zoro was already striding forward, kicking off his boots as he went, laying his katana carefully aside. By the time he reached the railing he was almost at a run, not hesitating to dive into the icy water below. He heard a splash behind him as he surfaced and knew Sanji had followed, the cook's powerful legs bringing him swiftly to the surface beside Zoro.

"I don't see them," Sanji growled, flicking his wet hair from his eyes.

Zoro said nothing, treading water as he scanned the endless blue for any sign of the mysterious figure. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed movement and turned just in time to see a single hand as it slipped beneath the surface. He took off at an alarming pace, stopping for only a moment to draw a deep breath before plunging below the waves.

The salt water stung his eyes, but he forced them open, squinting as he peered into the gloomy depths. Nothing. He kicked out in the direction he had seen the hand, his strong arms pulling him swiftly through the pressing weight of the water. He did not make it far before his need for oxygen forced him to return to the surface. Sanji surfaced a few meters away, shaking his head.

Cursing, Zoro took another breath before submerging. This time he spotted a body to his left, slowly sinking, a deep red stream winding its way to the surface amongst the bubbles. It was a young woman, perhaps around his age, and she appeared to be badly wounded.

Ignoring the burning in his lungs, he struck out toward the sinking figure, looping one strong arm around her torso before making a beeline for open air. He inhaled sharply as he broke the surface, blinking the water from his eyes. He glanced down at the girl. Her pale hair was plastered to her scalp and her eyes were closed. He could not tell if she was breathing. Cursing, he set a course back to the Sunny, dragging her through the water in his wake. He only hoped the trail of blood that followed would go unnoticed by the sea kings that lurked in the depths.

As he approached the ship, Zoro felt movement and glanced down to find the girl had opened her eyes. _Good,_ he thought,_ at least she's not dead._ Though if he did not hurry back to the ship, he knew she would be soon. Her gaze was unfocused and she seemed to be struggling to stay conscious, her breath coming in short shuddering gasps. The water around them was tinged pink.

All of a sudden, her vision seemed to clear and her eyes snapped wide. She uttered an incoherent cry and kicked out, thrashing to escape the grip of the stranger who held her. Zoro's grip tightened about her waist and he felt a sting of guilt as she winced in pain.

_Broken ribs,_ he thought. That did not deter her though, and he cringed as her nails raked his arm. They went under momentarily and salt water flooded Zoro's mouth.

"Oi, oi!" he spluttered as he struggled to keep them both afloat. "I'm trying to help you here!"

At his words, her struggling intensified and he could feel them both beginning to slip below the waves.

"Stop your struggling or we'll both drown. Or would you rather I leave you to the sea kings?"

That got her attention.

She glared at him and for a moment he almost lost himself in her eyes. They were the colour of the midnight sky, a blue so dark it was almost black. Against his will, he felt his cheeks flush with heat and his heart rate quicken. _Beautiful…_

"Oi, marimo, up here!" Zoro did not even have time for a retort before he and the girl were pulled from the water by multiple pairs of arms. They were hauled unceremoniously onto the deck, drenched and shivering. The girl had fallen unconscious again, her lips blue and trembling with cold.

"Get her to the infirmary," Chopper piped up, his tone urgent.

"Let me," said Sanji.

And before he knew it, the girl was lifted from Zoro's arms and whisked away. The rest of the crew followed out of curiosity and concern, and he was left alone on and wondering what the hell had just come over him. A roll of thunder sounded in the distance, an accompaniment to the thundering of his heart. He scowled.

"Looks like we're in for a storm."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Amaya the Storm**

Amaya drifted in and out of consciousness, vaguely aware of a dull pain in her side and a pounding in her head. She could hear the low drone of voices nearby, but when she tried to decipher what was being said, it only made her head spin and throb painfully. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there, and yet here she was – alive despite all odds.

The surface beneath her was soft and warm, and beckoned her back into the sweet abyss of sleep, but she would not let it take her – not until she had some answers. Her mind moved sluggishly as she tried to piece together her thoughts, her memories of the events that had led to that moment. There had been so much pain, and biting cold, and then the warm arms of a man she had never met, yet whose intense gaze and odd green hair had followed her into her dreams. Someone had found her – that much she knew. The question was whether it had been friend or foe.

She let out a groan and the voices ceased, and she heard the pitter-patter of small feet and the longer stride of another as they approached her bedside. With immense effort, she forced her eyes open, but the best she could manage was a squint, which left the figures that loomed over her ominously out of focus.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?"

The voice was high pitched, like that of a child. It seemed to pierce the veil of sleep that suffocated her and she found herself able to lift herself into a half-sitting position. She winced as her side twinged.

"Hurts," she growled. "But I've had worse." Then she blinked as her eyes focused on the two strangers.

The smaller, the one who had spoken, caught her attention first. _Ta_…_nuki?_ Amaya was well aware that she was staring, but the creature merely stared back with a look of concern. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyelids, wondering if she was still dreaming. When she opened them again, however, the creature was still there.

"What- er… _who_ are you?" Amaya asked tentatively.

It was the second stranger who answered. Amaya had forgotten his presence until that point and hastily moved to cover herself with the sheets, but realised there was no cause for concern. She was naked from the waist up, but her torso had been neatly and thoroughly bound in fresh white bandages.

"You're aboard the Thousand Sunny. This is Doctor Tony Tony Chopper of the Straw Hat Pirates. And as for me, you can call me _Mister Prince!_~" He took Amaya's hand and looked into her eyes. "And who might you be, mysterious beauty from the sea?"

She eyed him warily before replying. "Amaya," she said bluntly.

"What a fitting name for such a stunning siren! Are you hungry, Amaya-chan?"

_Amaya-chan!?_

She thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it…"

His face lit up. "Then I shall make you a feast fit for a goddess of the sea!" He rushed from the room, leaving Amaya stunned in his wake. She turned back to the creature (_Chopper?_), her bewilderment evident on her face.

He chuckled. "That's Sanji, our cook." Then his expression became more serious. "It's lucky we found you. Your wounds aren't extensive, but any longer and you would have bled out. What happened to you?"

Amaya looked down at her hands. They were trembling slightly but she could not discern the reason. Her mind was a blank. "I… don't remember… How long have I been out?"

"No more than a day. It looks like you were shot. One bullet grazed your side and cracked some ribs, the second I had to extract from your stomach. You're lucky it didn't hit any major organs." As he spoke, Chopper performed a routine check-up, taking her temperature and blood pressure, shining a bright light into her eyes that made her head throb painfully. Seemingly satisfied with the results, he backed off and returned his instruments to their rightful places. "You'll have to take it easy for a few weeks or you'll tear your stitches."

Amaya peered down at her side to examine the damage, gingerly fingering the places where blood had already begun to seep through the bandages. She winced as her fingers came in contact with the delicate flesh. "It seems I was lucky to have been rescued by a skilled doctor."

"Shut up, your praise doesn't make me happy at all, you asshole!" cried the creature, though his expression was one of pure, unbridled glee. "It wasn't me who rescued you though. You should thank Zoro for that."

_Zoro?_

"Let's go meet the others. Can you walk?"

"I think so…"

She shakily got to her feet and after she was sure she would not collapse, began reaching for her boots that sat by the end of the bed. She gritted her teeth against the pain as she pulled them on, then cast her eyes around for something to cover her torso. They fell on a red hoodie, neatly folded on the bedside table. She threw it around her shoulders, gingerly sliding her arms into the sleeves and zipping it closed.

Ready, Amaya nodded to Chopper to lead the way, but before she could take a step she realised something was wrong. Something was… missing. She reached for her thigh to feel the familiar touch of steel against her fingers, but they only met thin air. She froze mid step.

"Where are my weapons?"

Chopper paused and smiled sheepishly. "We thought it would be best if we took them away, at least until we knew you weren't a Marine… You're not a Marine are you?"

She shook her head.

"Well I'm sure Usopp would be happy to give them back to you once he's done examining them. He said he's never seen anything like them before."

Amaya narrowed her eyes. She did not know who this 'Usopp' was, but if he had messed with her weapons in any way, he would suffer a world of pain.

She could hear the murmur of voices from behind a door at the end of the room and strode forward with a purpose, ignoring the insistent pain in her side as her stitches stretched. She practically kicked the door down onto what appeared to be a kitchen and dining area, and glared daggers at those behind it. Conversation had ceased entirely as all eyes turned on her.

"Which one of you… has my weapons?" she said, her voice dangerously calm.

She heard a shriek of fright from her left and her head shot around to fix her eyes on the culprit. A man with an absurdly long nose quailed under her glare.

"S-sorry! I just wanted to take a look!" He pulled out a pair of holsters containing a dozen steel spikes each and thrust them at Amaya. "You seemed to have lost some so I made some new ones to replace them. I hope you don't mind. They're some sort of projectile, right?"

Amaya paused, taken aback. "T-thank you… And yes, bo-shuriken." She took the weapons from his outstretched hands and strapped then around her thighs. She sighed happily when she felt their familiar weight once more.

The man seemed fascinated. "You have to show me how they work!"

"Uh… sure."

When she looked up, she found herself suddenly face to face with a man in a straw hat. He looked her over, squinting suspiciously.

"You a Marine?"

"No, I'm a pirate," Amaya replied.

His face broke out in a wide grin and he chuckled. "We're all good then!" He pulled himself up to his full height and puffed out his chest. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy and I'm gonna be king of the pirates! And this is my crew!"

Amaya's gaze went around the table as the rest of the crew introduced themselves.

"Usopp, sniper!"

"Nami, the navigator!"

"Franky, _supeeer_ shipwright!"

"Robin, archaeologist. Nice to meet you."

"And of course you've already met our doctor, Chopper, and our cook, Sanji."

Amaya's head pounded with the sudden surge of information, but she smiled and nodded politely. Absently, she noticed a certain green-haired man was absent. As she wondered when she would get to thank her rescuer, she realised the Straw Hat Pirates were looking at here expectantly.

"Oh, I'm-"

"Amaya the Storm, first mate of the Red Rain Pirates. Bounty: 25, 000, 000 beli."

Everyone's heads turned at the sound of the voice. In the doorway stood a man with green hair, arms crossed and three katana glinting dangerously on his hip. His mouth was set in a hard line.

"Where's the rest of your crew?"

Amaya though for a moment but it only made her head spin. "I… don't know…"

"Oi, moss-head, how do you know all this?" Sanji asked suspiciously from the kitchen.

Zoro grunted. "I remember seeing her wanted poster back when I was a bounty hunter."

Sanji turned to Amaya. "You really don't remember, Amaya-chan?"

"No, I…" She fell heavily into a seat at the table, cradling her head in her hands. "It hurts too much to think. I-" She was aware that all eyes were on her, some curious, some concerned… and some impatient.

"Well, if it hurts to think, don't think. Oi, Sanji, let's eat!" Luffy chuckled.

"You would know a thing or two about not thinking," Nami muttered under her breathe.

Amaya gave a small smile, hidden behind her hands, and silently thanked whatever god had steered her into the hands of such good people. She needed to find her crew, but she knew she would never be able to help them in her current state. She had to focus on making a full recovery. She only hoped that when she did, it would not be too late.

And so she accepted the food offered to her with a smile and a "thank you" and watched in awe as the Straw Hats dug in, in Luffy's case _very_ enthusiastically. She looked down at her plate. The meal looked and smelled incredible and her stomach grumbled impatiently. Beside her, Usopp leaned in close, his voice low.

"I'd keep both eyes on your plate if I were you," he said and, as if to prove a point, a cry of pain punctuated his words.

From the corner of her eye, Amaya caught the retreating hand and sulky expression of the captain. She chuckled. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

She speared a piece of the tender meat on her fork and brought it to her lips. It smelled heavenly and her mouth watered in anticipation. She ate slowly at first, but soon gained momentum as her body made its appetite known. It was delicious, as expected, but there was also something so familiar about the taste. She paused to think. Her cook used this meat often in his cooking. Sea king meat, she identified.

_Jasper_.

She dropped her fork, her hand raised to her mouth to muffle a sudden sob. The clamour around her died.

_Jasper, cook to the Red Rain Pirates, stood between Amaya and a faceless enemy. She was wounded, clutching at the ship's rail as she struggled to stay conscious. Jasper had his knives raised, ready to strike, but he made the grave mistake of looking back. It was a mistake that cost him his life. _

_Before her eyes, her cook was struck down, his blood joining the others' on the already red-slicked deck. She felt her stomach lurch as his head rolled sickeningly across the planks to rest at her feet and she had to fight not to lose her breakfast. _

_The enemy was drawing closer and Amaya fumbled for her bo-shuriken, but the blood on her hands made it impossible to grasp the thin steel rods and they clattered uselessly to the ground. She swore and cast her eyes around for a sword. Her gaze fell on Jasper's knives, still clutched tightly in his fists. The enemy saw where her gaze was directed, and lunged at the same time she did, but with a cry of pain, he fell to the ground, motionless._

_"__Amaya!" _

_Amaya almost sobbed with relief as she spotted the broad shoulders and ginger head of her captain, his arm still outstretched in knife-throwing position. "Roland!" She reached out to him and he grasped her hand tightly._

_"__Amaya, you need to get out of here."_

_"__What? No, I'm not leaving you guys here to fight them alone!"_

_"__I'm not giving you a choice, Maya! Go. That's an order."_

_"__But-"_

_"__Are you disobeying your captain's orders? Get the fuck out of here!"_

_Clutching her bleeding side, tears leaving track marks in the blood and grime that caked her cheeks, she watched as he drew his twin sabres and threw himself into the fray. She backed up against the rail, trying to calm her breathing for what she knew lay ahead. Just before she turned to dive into the icy sea below, she saw a sight that made her heart ache._

_Roland was far outnumbered._

The Straw Hats listened to her story with grim faces. When she finished she grew quiet, silent sobs wracking her body. No one spoke for a long time, then Luffy rose to his feet.

"Amaya… We'll help you find your crew. And we'll help you get your captain back." The rest of the crew nodded in unison, determination on their faces.

Amaya looked around at them all, tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her face.

"Thank you."


End file.
